Fisheries: EP crackdown on illegal tuna fishing

Euro MPS, identify reproduction areas and create 'havens'

(ANSAmed) - STRASBOURG, MAY 23 - Calls have been made in the
European Parliament to reduce further the quantity of illegal
blue-fin tuna fishing in the Eastern Atlantic and the
Mediterranean and to identify reproduction areas at sea, where
fishing is to be forbidden.
These are just some of the requests approved by an
overwhelming majority (635 votes in favour, 16 against and 11
abstentions) in Strasbourg today with the aim of guaranteeing
more sustainable development of stock. For the European Union,
it is a case of incorporating into European law the
recommendations agreed with the International Commission for the
Conservation of Atlantic Tunas (ICCAT), which mainly focus on
''the reduction of the dimensions of fishing fleets, the
extension of closed fishing seasons for dragnets and heightened
checks''. After the Parliament vote, the new rules must also be
approved by the EU's Council of Ministers.

NO TO ILLEGAL FISHING - The reconstruction plans for blue-fin
tuna stocks will see checks stepped up, including those
concerning the transfer of tuna from nets to cages. All
operations involving caging tuna will now have to be recorded on
video. If the number or maximum weight of tuna is over 10% above
the figure declared, the excess will automatically have to be
released.

MONITORING - Member states will need to guarantee the
monitoring by their national observers of all dragnet fishing
boats of less than 20 metres long in 2012. For larger boats, a
regional observer from the ICCAT will be tasked with monitoring.

Only 20% of dragnets were checked previously.

FEWER FISHING BOATS - Member states have until the start of
2013 to bring their fishing fleets in to line with the
contingents agreed. The dragnet fishing season will also be
reduced from two months to one, and will take place between May
15 and June 15. (ANSAmed).